General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam and his spouse, Ngo Phuong Ly, met with Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako in Tokyo on November 11.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam (second from left) and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly pose for a photo with Emperor Naruhito (second from right) and Empress Masako in Tokyo on November 11. (Photo: VNA)

In a warm and friendly atmosphere, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako expressed their pleasure at the positive, substantive and comprehensive development of Vietnam-Japan relations, as well as increasingly vibrant exchanges between the two countries’ leaders and people.

They recalled memories of the Japanese Imperial Family’s close ties with Vietnam and its people through several meaningful visits to Vietnam by members of the Imperial Family, such as the 2017 visit by the then Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko; the 2009 official visit by Emperor Naruhito, then Crown Prince; and the 2023 visit by Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

General Secretary and President Lam expressed his sincere thanks for the affection and attention that Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and other members of the Japanese Imperial Family have shown to the Vietnamese people and to bilateral friendship and cooperation over the years.

He conveyed the greetings of Vietnam’s leaders and people to Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko.

He described their 2017 visit to Vietnam, when they were Emperor and Empress, as an important historical milestone in bilateral relations and a cherished memory that the Vietnamese people will always hold dear.

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako expressed their pleasure at welcoming Geneneral Secretary and President Lam and his spouse on their official visit to Japan, expressing confidence that its success will help strengthen friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

The Emperor also shared insights into the long history of exchanges and ties between the two countries’ people, noting that the longstanding people-to-people exchanges and cultural similarities between the two countries provided an important foundation for strengthening ties between their people and building the strong friendship and cooperation they enjoy today.

During the meeting, the Vietnamese leader and his spouse shared their impressions of various cultural exchange activities during their visit, as well as similarities in the character and culture of the two two countries.

The General Secretary and President highlighted considerable potential for the two countries to expand cooperation in education and training, high-quality human resources development, healthcare, culture, tourism and agriculture in the years ahead.

On this occasion, he, on behalf of the Party, State and people of Vietnam, invited Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako to visit Vietnam in the near future to mark the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2028.

He said such a visit will be an important historical event anticipated by both countries’ people.

The Emperor and Empress thanked him for the invitation and expressed their wish to visit Vietnam soon.

Also on the same afternoon, the Emperor and Empress hosted a banquet at the Imperial Palace in honour of General Secretary and President Lam, his spouse and several members of the high-level Vietnamese delegation.

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The two sides agreed to advance science and technology and innovation as a pillar of bilateral cooperation, based on partnership, co-creation and public-private cooperation.

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Focusing the theme of co-creating technologies, co-building future value chains, the forum provided a platform for the two countries to explore new cooperation opportunities.

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The visit is expected to further translate the potential and achievements of bilateral cooperation into concrete outcomes, strengthen the longstanding bonds between the two countries and ensure that the friendship nurtured across generations continues to deliver lasting benefits to both peoples.